


i could offer you a warm embrace

by littlelooneyluna



Series: Robron Week 2018 [7]
Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Angst, Coma, Established Relationship, M/M, They Have A Song
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 07:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14160216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlelooneyluna/pseuds/littlelooneyluna
Summary: Day 7 | Jukebox:After Aaron slips into a coma following an accident, Robert uses the power of music to bring him back.





	i could offer you a warm embrace

**Author's Note:**

> enjoy!

 

It's not like it happens suddenly and everything turns to black. No, he's in this mad rush and the car in front of him doesn't seem to want to move at all.

So he's frustrated by the time he gets to the scrapyard, frustrated and stressed out and his hand just _slips_.

It stings in this unimaginable way and he feels himself wince against it before he's sighting the damaging and the metal door now thrown towards the ground as he tries to breathe against it.

But.

He's bleeding so suddenly that he feels faint against it, and then the panic sets in so quickly because he's _alone_ and this cut is actually a _gash_.

"Rob." He flaps out, his arm waving aimlessly because he knows Robert's on his way to Leeds and he won't be back for hours.

Absolute hours.

Everything starts to fade from him as he slumps his injured arm up against the desk and tries to breathe slowly and reach for his phone.

When he does, the sweat is clammy against his hand and it falls towards the ground with a loud thud.

"Rob?" He says again, and _that's_ when his eyes close and the world grounds to this halt.

 

~*~

 

Robert is more than just a mess when he flys into the hospital ward.

He's got tears in his eyes and all he can think about is the fact Aaron's _hurt_ and he wasn't even _there_.

"Aaron - Aaron Dingle. They said - they said he was here." He's trying to keep it together, for the sake of Liv more than anyone else because he's promised to ring her with news, told her to stay in school and -

He doesn't want to think about things being _bad_. The phrase 'touch and go' can't be uttered, because he'll _refuse_ to believe it.

A nurse ushers him into the _family_ room and sits him down. The walls are this sickly yellow colour and he's been here before. The walls were blue once and kept reminding him of the water he had nearly drowned in.

Now, now all he can think about is this need to be _sick_.

Because it must be bad, because no one is saying anything until he waves a hand out and a doctor comes in with a clipboard.

"Your husband had quite a nasty cut on his left forearm."

And something _surges_ through Robert suddenly as he raises his head and widens his eyes.

It feels like he's back _there_ again. He's holding Aaron's limp body in his arms and shaking him and asking him to please wake up.

And it's septicaemia, and they've caught it quick enough but now -

"He had septicaemia a few years ago." And Robert is really saying, he was in _such_ a bad place that he cut himself that deep and -

Robert blinks out quickly as the nurse and doctor stare at each other. "Is it back? Does - does he have blood poisoning _again_."

The doctor clears his throat against the questions. "Yes. It appears that he does, we've tried to treat it as best we can but -"

Robert catches his breath, so suddenly he can't even breathe. " _Tried_?"

And this wasn't supposed to happen today.

He was going to Leeds for a meeting and coming back home within a matter of _hours_ and it was going to be just him and Aaron all night.

They were going to cook dinner together, he was going to _tease_ Aaron about how awful he is at identifying ingredients. They weren't supposed to be _here_ again.

"Unfortunately -"

And Robert _is_ going to be sick if he continues that sentence.

"No." Robert holds his hand up suddenly and his eyes water and then -

The nurse leans forward, a more human face. "Aaron's fallen into a coma. But we're doing all we can to regulate his blood levels."

Robert feels this sickly sense of relief, because he's not dead, he's not left him but -

That phrase rears its ugly head again.

'It's touch and go.'

 

~*~

 

Aaron doesn't suit being like this, his body is stiff against the sheets and Robert just stares down at him in shock.

A hand strokes over Aaron's hair and he sniffs softly. There's a bandage on Aaron's arm and it stares up at Robert with a mocking smirk.

He can't help but think Aaron did it on purpose. It's a dark thought he wishes was so far in the past it doesn't even matter now. But it does. Of course it does.

"Hey." Robert says, something caught so tragically in his throat. "You rest okay, I know - I know things have been stressful lately."

Because Aaron's been juggling everything as usual, denying the fact that he needs help occasionally.

He knows it's because Aaron doesn't want to let him down.

And that in _itself_ is enough to make something shatter like glass in Robert's chest.

Liv's been a handful, and Rebecca's still _around_ and so suddenly, everything seems to just pile up so high that Robert's struggling to breathe.

He just reaches out and squeezes Aaron's hand in his own.

"You rest, and then you wake up." Robert insists, something settling in his chest as he speaks. "For me, for - for Liv and - Seb needs ya." He feels everything suddenly and pictures Aaron gone from what he has in his life now. "We _all_ need ya."

 

~*~

 

He holds his hand until Chas crashes into the room, all wide eyed and teary.

She's shocked, she's so upset and he can't comfort her. She's not someone he does that with.

Instead though, she's leaning down and sweeping him up in her arms and he shakes in her embrace for a few seconds before looking back at Aaron laying in the bed.

"He looks so cold." Robert says suddenly, twists at his lip before shuddering. "All his blood has just been _drained_."

Chas scrapes the chair against the floor and gulps. "I know what you're thinking, about how he did it but the metal piece of scrap was there at the yard. All bloody. He probably wasn't -"

"Wearing his gloves." Robert whispers against her words. "He never does, does he?" And Chas shakes her head a little. "He's not waking up." He blurts out suddenly.

Chas rubs at his arm and she's so motherly that he never cries in his arms. "Not yet. But he will. Of course he will." She's so adamant suddenly, and Aaron's still laying there with his shirt hanging open and something stuck down his throat and there's this awful possibility that it'll never happen.

He could never wake up.

"Don't let your mind go there okay?" Chas says, like she reads his mind. "He's resting. And he'll be absolutely _fine_."

"I kept giving him too much though, making things - too hard." Robert breathes out gently. "With work and - and _Seb_  and -"

"He loves ya. That's why he does it all."

And suddenly Robert doesn't want Aaron to love him if it means he ends up working himself into a coma.

That sounds awful, makes him feel _sick_ against it and then Chas smiles at him a little faintly.

"He'll be fine."

And Robert, he can't think about any other possibility.

 

~*~

 

He's waking up in bed, Aaron's humming along to something in the shower and he smiles against it before walking towards the bathroom door and watching his husband.

Aaron smiles at him through the glass, in this soft innocent way and Robert's shoulders relax against it.

But then Seb is awake and upset and Liv is slamming doors and has so much going on in her head.

And -

Life gets in the way of him staring at his husband singing in the shower.

Robert keeps being haunted by that particular memory as he sits and waits for Aaron to open his eyes.

 

~*~

 

Robert won't let go of Aaron's hand, it's clammy against the stillness of his husband and he keeps his feet up against the chair and just stares until he hears the door go.

Liv's this absolute mess of a girl and that's when Robert sorts himself out.

He's not going to cry over this anymore. He's going to be there for her and Aaron's _going_ to wake up.

"Hey. Come here."

She falls into his arms, and Robert realises that he has to let go of Aaron's hand. He does, with this deep sadness spreading through him and then he shudders against the way she's in his arms.

Her head is this scary space, Robert recognises, and he suddenly wants to keep her as close as possible because the thought of her diving off the edge over _this_ is something Aaron wouldn't want.

Robert strokes at Liv's ponytail as she eases off him and asks what happened. "He had an accident at the yard, he's got septicaemia. But - they've treated it as best they can." He smiles a little and Liv looks across at Aaron's body laying in front of her.

"Why isn't he waking up then?"

And Robert gulps hard. "Because - because he's not ready yet. But he will." He holds her closer towards him and she looks over her shoulder at Aaron.

"But what if -"

He wants to give in, sit here crying with Liv and hate the world for what has so suddenly happened. But then the sound of Aaron's heart monitor catches his attention and -

"Aaron's fighting, like he always is. So we have to keep fighting too, okay?" He's firmer with the way he speaks, almost believes it as Liv wipes at her reddening face and nods her head gently.

 

~*~

 

"You have to go home. Rest, have a shower at least."

Robert frowns against Chas' advice.

"What and leave him?" It's an alien concept right now and the fact that Chas is even suggesting such a thing is ridiculous.

"He won't be alone will he? I'll stay with him."

And Chas looks like she's about to drop herself.

"No. No _you_ go. I'm not leaving." And he isn't. He won't leave him.

"How about getting a shower here then?" Chas is trying, she really is, and Robert gulps against her words. "Aaron wouldn't want you siting here for hours just staring at him would he? He'd tell you to go to Seb."

"And how am I supposed to look after him exactly? I'm a mess." Robert runs a hand through his hair. "'Cause he's not here to make me strong."

And everything else falls away.

 

~*~

 

"Beep once for a shower, two for staying right here."

The machine beeps once.

 

~*~

 

He feels a little more normal after the shower.

Resumes his position at Aaron's bedside and is surprised to find Diane perched there with Seb in her arms and a smile on her face.

Seb's all restless against her and he leans his hands out to grab at Robert as soon as he spots him.

"What are you doing here?" Robert rubs at his eyes a little and gulps.

Diane points towards the pile of clothes in the corner of the room. "Thought you could need those." She says kindly. "And this little one was missing you so -"

"He's used to being here." Robert whispers, and Seb's already spent too much of his life sitting on this side of the bed staring down at someone who refuses to open their eyes.

First Rebecca.

And now Aaron.

The one who cuddles him in a way Robert can't.

Diane sighs a little. "It probably feels a lot like that now but -"

He waves a hand up and then sits beside her.

Seb wriggles further into his lap and Robert suddenly picks him up and smiles faintly at him.

"Aaron's just a little sleepy. Like mummy was."

And it's nonsense really, because Seb has no idea what he's talking about.

He just hugs at his son suddenly, and he smiles against him a little.

For just a second everything is settled in his chest, and he only focuses on the feel of Seb close. Seb not leaving him.

"I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, without Aaron." Robert wishes he's making sense because he can't bring himself to have to say it all again but Diane just nods at him.

"You've been a brilliant father to Seb, before and after Aaron."

Robert nods a little. "Yeah and - and when he wakes up, everything will be fine." He keeps saying that, and he's clearly reassuring Seb because he settles just that little bit more in his arms.

And Aaron,

He's still just getting his rest.

 

~*~

 

"Sorry, that we haven't had more time together recently." Robert yawns as he speaks, kisses at Aaron's head and the younger man shuffles further down into the bed.

"We've got the rest of our lives." Aaron shrugs in this ridiculous way as if he doesn't know how romantic his words were.

Robert's positively bashful against it and Aaron pokes at his bare stomach until the older man laughs.

"Yeah. We do."

 

~*~

 

He's haunted by those awfully bittersweet memories now, feels it tingle through his body as he sits and looks at Aaron.

He's beautiful in a way that Robert was always too shy to say back when he first realised.

When Aaron was this loud mouth with bite and a sexy voice and he was drawn to him so madly that he knew it was dangerous.

It had to be dangerous.

Aaron's chest rises and falls with the aid of the machines and for a second Robert wants to reach out and wrap his arms around him but he refrains.

He stares at him instead and says,

"You're my beautiful husband."

And then he wipes a tear from his eyes and watches his hands become wet against it.

 

~*~

 

Robert has his hands on Aaron's when the nurse walks in.

He's been here for two whole days now and Aaron's still not moved a muscle.

"The good news is we've managed to get his blood levels right back to where they should be." The nurse is helpful as she speaks, Robert wills himself to listen to her better but all he can think about is the _bad_ news.

And it comes.

"Unfortunately-"

"He's not awake." Robert mumbles knowingly and she pulls this face which is full of this sadness _for_ him.

"This takes time. A lot of patience."

And Robert _knows_ that.

He was in one himself and then Rebecca was too.

And now she's got _brain damage_ so it's hardly the most comforting of stories to fall back onto in a time like this.

He blows out a breath, strokes Aaron's arm for a few seconds and nods at the nurse as she leaves.

"Will you stop being so lazy and just come back to me?" Robert wills, something so dangerously sad in his voice and he thinks he's about to break.

Because Liv's not here, and neither is Seb or Chas.

He's alone and he's allowed to break like this.

He's _allowed_.

"Please, Aaron." He whispers, and he dives his head down towards Aaron's lap.

It's the only way he knows how to sleep.

 

~*~

 

They keep saying no change is a good thing, and Robert believes that with all his heart.

Or at least that's what he's telling himself.

It's nearly been three days and he's still not moving at all. He's still trapped wherever he is and there's just no way Robert can catch him.

It's pointless, but he just squeezes his hand tighter and tries to push everything else out of his mind.

He's bought Liv and Seb with him, the baby's wriggling about on his lap and Robert wonders if he's aware of what is going on.

And then he reaches his little body towards the bed and Robert breaks.

"Hey. Hey stay here little man, let Aaron rest."

Because resting is _good_. Aaron's just getting his energy back up. That's all.

Only Seb starts crying his little eyes out and Robert doesn't know what to do as he sees his little boy wailing in his arms.

He holds him up, wills for him to calm down and then Liv is scooping him up in her arms. "I think he wants a walk about. You stay here, I'll go."

And Liv's got all the strength, Robert wants to steal some.

 

~*~

 

"Diane sends her love you know?" Robert whispers, adjusts himself against he hospital seat. "Everything's on hold at home, Liv's - she's been amazing Aaron. You'd be so proud." He's just babbling and Aaron's still just laying there not opening his mouth.

"I keep - keep trying to think about what could make you open your eyes." Robert whispers, "It usually takes a sleepy blowjob to get you up in the morning but I doubt that they'll allow me to try that in here." He laughs faintly against it and his eyes begin to water heavily. "I'd do _anything_."

It's mad that it takes something like this to happen for Robert to be able to realise that even _more_.

"I love you Aaron Dingle. So just open your eyes and - I promise I'll spend the rest of my _life_ keeping you safe. I'll chain ya to the sofa and not let you anywhere near that bloody yard if I have to." He scoots closer towards the bed and holds Aaron's face in his hands, "Anything." He shakes his head suddenly and Liv appears at the door.

"Anything new?" She asks and Robert shakes his head again. "I've bought some of his CD's." She waves a hand out in front of her and Robert feels something warm in his chest as he keeps ahold of Aaron's hand.

"Bit old school for you?" Robert asks, tilts his head a little and she just looks at Aaron, her brother, this connection that Robert feels whenever he sees Victoria hurt.

It aches, and the expression on her face let's Robert know how strong she's being.

"It could wake him up." She says, "Chas says he has an old CD player at the pub. I'll bring it in later."

Robert nods a little and then he kisses her head as she sits down next to him.

"He's got rubbish taste in music." Liv announces, gulps hard as she leans against Robert. "Worse than you."

And that,

It makes Robert laugh for just a second.

He loves Liv with all his heart.

 

~*~

 

It's not a bad idea.

It's one that he links to Rebecca, he'd tried so hard to get her to open her eyes as he played her rubbish.

So here he is, music on and loud enough for Robert to almost wince against it.

It's some banging techno beat and Robert waits for a sign, he doesn't get one. But it doesn't stop the feeling of hope racing through him.

"How about Taylor Swift?" Robert says, tilts his head a little and then watches Liv carry Seb into the room. "What do you think Seb? You think Aaron will want to listen to a bit of Swifty?"

And Seb almost claps his hands together.

Liv smiles as well, and for a second they forget where they are and Aaron's just sleeping whilst they listen to music around him.

It's a gentle thought.

 

~*~

 

Robert is almost nervous as he walks into the hospital room because Aaron's still laying there against the bed.

He sits down on the chair and scrapes it closer to Aaron before smiling a little.

"You know, I never ever _ever_ was going to show you this." He passes the small tape from his left hand to his right and then looks up at Robert. "I made you this. Well, not _for_ you, but - with you in mind."

And suddenly he's younger, his hair is longer and he's pretty much a dick to Aaron all the time.

But then Aaron stays, he stays in his bed for a whole week and everything _shifts_ between them.

He suddenly loves him more than words can actually say and he's soppy about it.

And he hates himself for it.

But that doesn't stop him thinking about all the songs they'd listen to.

He's back there as he sits here.

' _Aaron's got his arm tucked round Robert's naked middle and he smiles up at him a little._

_It makes Robert feel like he's falling._

_And he can't stop it._

_They're on the sofa, fire sparking and the radio on low._

_"Didn't realise you had such awful music taste." Aaron mumbles against Robert's chest and the older man pokes him a little._

_"What do you like then? Some indie rock stuff?" Aaron laughs against it and Robert has never seen him this open before._

_Not like this, he's got his hair fluffed and soft and Robert is sort of in awe._

_"Leed's festival is the dream." He's exaggerating with his movements and Robert snorts._

_"Not got anything a bit bigger than that?" Robert teases an there's something soft about the way he speaks. It's like Aaron has the wild ability to keep him this gentle._

_When they're alone, it's just different._

_Aaron rolls his eyes a little and ignores Robert's teasing. "That's the sort of music I like." He says, "Never been before."_

_And it's scary how quickly Robert wants to take him._

_He promises himself that one day he will._

"Never did actually go did we?" Robert whispers, "After - after everything happened between us. Before I was shot I mean, that - that horrible bit."

The bit here Robert didn't know who he was exactly and everything was heavy against him.

"I spent all my time just _thinking_. About everything I'd done. Then I was _shot_ , and I had a lot time on my hands afterwards. So I put some songs together, to remind me of you." He could almost laugh against it if he wasn't sitting here watching Aaron lay in a coma.

Robert leans over to the video player and puts in the old cassette. "I know it's old. But you'd say _I'm_ old so I don't care."

He presses play against it, and what he can only describe as indie noise starts playing and he honestly doesn't know what comes over him but -

He's crying so suddenly that he feels himself shaking against Aaron.

And everything just _fizzles_ inside him as the music plays and Aaron stays exactly how he was before.

Silent.

 

~*~

 

Vic brings cakes and hugs and apologies for daring to take a holiday and not being there for Robert soon enough.

Robert welcomes it all until she's frowning against how ill he looks and he doesn't know what to say.

He just nods his head along and turns up the video player so that Aaron's music is playing a little louder.

The nurses seem to hum along to it whenever they come in to check on Aaron and Robert could almost laugh if everything wasn't so sad.

"Did you make a mixtape for him?" Vic's eyes turn soft and even at a time like this she's able to find the romance.

Robert turns a little red, pulls the sleeves of his red jumper up and then scoots closer to Aaron, squeezing his hand softly.

"I made it ages ago." Robert says, "And by ages ago I mean -"

"When he was your little grease monkey?" Vic smiles against her words and Robert blushes. "He'll be fine." She whispers, but then she looks at Aaron and Robert holds his breath against the way she rubs a hand over her eyes.

"He has to be." Robert whispers. "I thought this would help. You know, playing familiar sounds." He rolls his eyes and sighs against it. "He's not even flinched Vic."

His chin wobbles and something inside him seems to give up for a second.

Vic frowns a little. "What about a certain song, one that means something?" She leans a little closer to Robert and strokes his arm. "A song you played at your wedding?"

It's a kind thought, one that has crossed Robert's mind too many times but he knows that Aaron's not like that.

It won't mean anything, if hearing his favourite music doesn't stir him out of this then hearing some sappy songs won't make the slightest difference.

Robert frowns. "He doesn't think we have a song." He says, and he shudders a little against the memory.

Him and Aaron finally together again.

Aaron back in his _arms_.

And they definitely didn't have a song.

"Right." Vic clears her throat a little and then twists at her lip before she settles towards Robert a little more. "I'm here you know Rob? Whatever happens. I'm here."

And he _hates_ how the 'whatever happens' part is become more of a reality.

 

~*~

 

"You make sure you tell that teacher of yours that the working out is correct this time. I'm not having her tell you it was wrong again." Robert demands, hands flying towards Liv's bag as he gets it ready for her.

She's still half asleep and Aaron's feeding Seb in the kitchen.

"You're going to be home for tea?"  
Aaron asks, voice a little croaky just before he yawns.

Robert smiles at him, looks down at his phone and sighs. "I've got to go." He says suddenly, and then he looks at Aaron. "Will you be alright with picking Seb up from Vic's at four?"

Aaron looks a little torn, but nods his head eventually and Robert presses a kiss to his head before doing the same to Seb's and then he's gone.

He just goes and -

He didn't even tell Aaron he loved him.

That's what startles him awake as he rests against the bed, he suddenly can't stop panicking and he shakes at Aaron's body until he can't breathe.

"Aaron - Aaron, please just - listen to me okay? I love you." He blurts out, and tears are falling down his face so suddenly that he doesn't know what to do. "I love you so much, so _much_ and I was too busy to say then but -"

Everything around him turns hazy and then he digs deep into his pocket to pick out his phone.

His hands shake a little as he looks at his songs and sees the title staring back at him.

It's a comfort thing really, that he plays it out loud.

It's for _him_ , as he becomes overwhelmed with how it makes him feel and he places his head into Aaron's lap.

The song starts playing, and the way Robert is caught up in it brings him right back to where he was only a few years ago.

He was dancing with his _husband_ and everything was perfect for a second or two, noting else _mattered_.

It didn't need to matter.

He's practically a total mess by the chorus and he doesn't care that it's not their song. He doesn't care at all, because it feels like it is and they _danced_ to it and -

He feels it.

He _feels_ him and he thinks he's dreaming but he's _not_.

It's Aaron's hands flickering against his hair.

 

~*~

 

Robert yanks his head up suddenly, eyes watering as he watches Aaron's eyes flicker and -

" _Aaron_." He says suddenly, "Aaron, it's me, you're - you're okay." He presses a kiss suddenly against Aaron's head and cause for a nurse.

And so suddenly something settles in his chest as the song fades into the end.

 

~*~

 

There's almost too much to say as Aaron stares at him like he's the moon and the stars and he's groggy against the fact that he's been out for so long but he's clingy too.

He holds a hand out for Robert to hold and Aaron grabs it in his.

He knows that with everyone on their way he won't have a lot of time left for him and Aaron to be like this.

"You petrified me. Again." Robert has his hands on Aaron's face now and he smiles at him wearily. "I thought you'd never wake up." He whispers, and then his chin wobbles. "And I'd have to carry on with half of me gone." He sniffs gently and Aaron has the colour in his face back and he strokes through Robert's hair.

There's a gentleness in the way that everything rushes back to Aaron and he feels all this _love_ burst out through his veins as he gulps against the sadness in his husband's eyes.

"But you woke up. You're _okay_." Robert has a tear falling down his face and Aaron catches it.

"Not our song." It's the first thing Aaron manages to get out and Robert _warms_.

"You woke up to it playing so -"

Aaron rolls his eyes and Robert leans forward a little before kissing Aaron's hand and gently holding it towards his chest.

"Mine." Robert whispers, eyes soft against the way Aaron stares back at him.

"Yours." Aaron whispers, eyes watering. "I'm sorry for leaving ya." He says, and Robert looks wrecked, a beautiful brilliant wreck. He's guilty and he gulps hard against the way Robert looks at him.

"I missed ya." Robert says, "But it's not your fault. You were -"

"Being an idiot." He croaks out, "It was deeper than I thought and I couldn't get help fast enough and -"

Robert holds him suddenly and Aaron cries in his chest as he holds him.

"I could have died and I - I would have missed so much."

It's settling in, the fact that he was in a _coma_ and Robert had to watch him lay here for days.

His eyes are wet when he pulls back and Robert nods a little. "I love you Aaron Dingle. You came back to me."

And Aaron hugs at him for _dear_ life.

"I always will."

He doesn't let go until Liv's running into the room with Seb and Chas and everyone is a wreck.

"He heard our song and woke up." Robert has hearts for eyes and Liv teases her brother for too long until he gives in.

Because Aaron hates Adele's soppy stuff but he loves Robert more than words could possibly say.

So yeah,

They have a song.

 

~*~

 

Aaron's got the bowel of crisps in between him and Robert and they watch as Liv is twirled around on the dance floor by her _husband_.

It's their wedding day and Aaron's still not over it yet. She's sixteen still in his head, she's just grown out of the slamming doors stage and learned how to cook.

That's all.

Liv's actually twenty eight now and Aaron and Robert are in awe of how much she's grown and how beautiful she is.

She's _happy_ and so are they as they watch Annie and Jacob run around annoying Seb as much as they can.

Aaron dives back into the crisp bowl and watches Robert stare at him.

"I'll stop eating them soon." He says, rolls his eyes against the healthy living diet him and Robert are attempting to do.

Robert just gives him a look and then drags Aaron closer to him by his tie.

"Come dance with me?" He whispers, face gentle against Aaron's stubble and he doesn't take the flat out no for an answer. "Oi. One dance."

Aaron is impossible, shakes his head against it and apparently he doesn't dance anymore. Not that he did _anyway_.

Robert very nearly gives up and then _their_ song starts playing and Aaron blushes against it.

 _' When the rain is blowing in your face_  
And the whole world is on your case  
I could offer you a warm embrace  
To make you feel my love. '

Robert suddenly stands and something cracks in his knee but he ignores it in favour of holding Aaron close to him.

"Come on." Robert waves a hand out and Aaron silently stands, lets Robert hold his hand against his waist and press their bodies towards each other.

And it's like they're floating on _air_ or something because absolutely everything melts away from them and all Robert can do is focus on the way Aaron looks at him nowadays.

It's like he's nearly tripping over how much he loves Robert and that -

It's almost ridiculously beautiful.

Aaron closes his eyes against the way they move together and then he leans towards Robert's shoulder and _gives_.

"I woke up 'cause I heard this." Aaron whispers, "Remember? All those years again when I was in that coma." And Robert can hardly forget, he nods a little and then feels Aaron kiss his cheek tenderly. "I heard it and something just -" he can't really explain it. One second everything was dark and then the next, he saw nothing but colours and he wanted to reach out and grab Robert.

"I love you so much." He settles on saying, as Robert hugs his waist and the music continues.

"I love you too." Robert whispers back, kisses him so gently that he hears Aaron almost gasp a little against it.

The song's nearly over as they keep dancing and Robert smiles just a little. "It is pretty romantic you know, our song was enough to get you out of a coma."

Aaron's turning red against it and he rolls his eyes. "Maybe I just _had_ to wake you up and let you know it wasn't our song." He shrugs, but absolutely everything gets it away and Robert is still so in love with him that it hurts.

"You know it's our song. It always will be." And there's a beautiful softness about how deep their love runs nowadays.

Aaron shuffles a little as he sways in Robert's arms and thinks about them dancing to this song every single year on their wedding anniversary and it never gets old, _this_ , Robert's face lit up and so happy.

Aaron's never getting over the fact that he gets to be responsible for it.

And the way their _children_ have been bought up in a house so filled with love and happiness.

He's proud, and he's madly in love with the man who likes cheesy Adele songs and,

 _' Go to the ends of this Earth for you_  
To make you feel my love, oh yes  
To make you feel my love. '

"I know." Aaron blushes against it just as the song fades out.

 

**Author's Note:**

> this is the last one of the week, it's been amazingly enjoyable and i hope you have enjoyed the pieces!


End file.
